I have been meditating today about Nisia’s situation still in hospital with various pending issues to resolve. 

Romans 5

And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;  And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

Romans 5:3‭-‬4 KJV

“We glory” we value, we understand the value of the lessons and gifts we acquire IN the trial of our faith.  

“Tribulations” they are refining tools to Polish our faith. Our faith is not just for times of victory but also the guiding force to acquire other victories. 

1. Patience 

This is a little known ability or virtue. We are so used to preaching victory that we transport our “instant” culture to our faith. We believe things happen suddenly. They do not. They take time.  And God gives a special grace, gift for it. God’s suddenlies are always preceded by preparation. 

All great men and women in the Bible went through years of trials and preparation . Their patience resides in the conviction that God is faithful to His promises. This patience is the ability to walk until the end. 

Our first trial is crucifying in ourselves our contemporary culture of things being rapid and instaneous.  God prepares us for the long haul.

The Church and our brethren can pray but weariness comes in. We can sometimes attribute a lengthy journey of faith to be a lack of the same. Not so. God has His Ways and His times. 

2. Perseverance

This is determination  to believe and to be hopeful when all says no.

Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.

Romans 4:18 KJV

Abraham learned that perseverance beyond all his senses and tendencies would bear fruit. God gives signs and surprises along the way. The result in this walk of faith is that we attain a place in God that we can flow in it and we can see supernatural and know peace in our lives. Abraham became the Father of faith.  

THIS KIND OF FAITH BRINGS US INTO FRIENDSHIP with God. 

All will tell you to give up. You will become weary. But as we depend on the gift of patience we will go through this part of the process. 

3. Hope

We will come into the place where the things in the Spirit realm will begin to manifest and we will have acquired both gifts and character. This is the thing I treasure most. 

I have told this story many times.

When I came to Brixham in 2011 I learned the lesson of surrender in the walk of faith. I believed God for a house to bring my family. But I was struggling with God. He brought me right down to two apples and 50pence. I had nowhere to sleep. God spoke to me to lay my life in surrender and let Him work out His Purpose.  There was hope in that encounter. 

Suffice to say once I learned that walk God gave me the house and I am now in the place where He wants me to be. 

Hope displayed in us brings others into faith. We are living in a age of great instability and changes.  Health is attacked with sicknesses abroad and even men and women in ministry are struck down with great trials. Our submission  and ability in the trial brings us into the ministry of hope that equips others to catch faith to overcome.  Our trial not only equips but it affects our generation.

Keep praying for us as it is a very trying time. 

Shalom.